Past Unburied
by Shygeek943
Summary: Kihara Mei always believed that she just a farmer's daughter. She has yet to learn that her life was never that simple. A past forgotten and buried under lies, secrets, and deception will soon be uncovered. The truth will be revealed. It's just a matter of time.
1. Chapter 1

_All I could see was white. There was no houses or buildings of any kind. No green grass or pink cherry blossoms. No blue skies. Just pure white that connected the land to the sky. It was quiet too. There were no birds chirping or chimes of the wind. I take a look around me again. I was alone. _

_Suddenly, I heard an innocent giggle behind me. I turned around and saw a little girl. She couldn't have been more than four years old. Our eyes met and I couldn't help but notice that our eyes were identical. She smiled at me with pure joy. Without saying a word, she turned and ran off. I watched her go until she stopped and turned back to look at me with her head slightly tilted. She wanted me to follow so I did. I walked a couple yards behind her. Despite her running, it was easy keeping up with her._

_The further we went, the more our surrounding started to change. Dark grass and beautiful wildflowers sprung beneath our feet. Big trees towered over us. The sky turned into a mixture of yellow, orange, red, and purple. I could hear the animals chattering amongst themselves and the sound of a river somewhere in the distant. _

_We reached a clearing, a peaceful meadow. Waiting there was the silhouettes of a man and a woman. I couldn't make out any distinctive physical traits. The little girl had an even bigger smile as she ran as fast as she can towards the couple. The man effortlessly scooped her up and placed her on his wide shoulders. More giggles escaped from the girl while the two adults looked at each other with content smiles. They must be her parents._

_Out of nowhere, the wind turned harsh and cold. The animals' chittering now sounded like panic cries. Storm clouds quickly began to cover the entire sky as thunder roared from above. Something was wrong. I felt an overwhelming amount of dread and tension. _

_I tried to called to the family to tell them to get to somewhere safe. But no matter how hard I tried; no sound came out. A bolt of lightning crashed down to earth. It was so bright that I had to cover my eyes for moment_.

_When I opened my eyes, a completely different scene greeted me. It was quiet again but it was more unsettling this time. The meadow was gone and in its place was utter darkness. The couple was gone. So was the little girl. I could feel my chest tightening and it became hard to breathe. Fear and panic swirled inside of me. _

_Where are they?_

_Quiet sobbing broke through the silence. Turning my head to the right, I saw the girl with her smile gone. She illuminated the only light in the pitch-black dark. She was on her knees, tears streaming down her face as her gut-wrenching sobs became louder. In front of her were her parents, lying still. My eyes widened in horror when I took in the pool of blood surrounding them._

"_Mommy? Daddy? Why aren't you getting up? I'm scared. I'm really scared. Please, just wake up." The girl choked out through her cries._

_They remained motionless with their cold, lifeless eyes staring right at me._

_ Who did this to you?_

_A pair of hands suddenly reached out of the darkness behind the girl. I tried to warn her but couldn't. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. All I could do was watch helplessly as the hands drew closer to the sobbing child. When she finally noticed another presence, it was too late. One hand covered her mouth while an arm wrapped around her chest and pulled her into the darkness._

_She struggled the best she could. Her muffled screams still could be heard from miles away. Her eyes, same as mine, were wide and terrified, begging for help. Begging for someone to save her. The closer she got to the darkness, the more the light around her became dimmer. The darkness slowly consumed her, destroying the only light left._

_I stood there. In the cold, silent, and bitter darkness. I can't breathe. I want to get out. I need to get out. Then I heard it and I just knew that it was from that little girl. It was a loud, horrified, piercing scream that made my blood run cold._

I bolted up with my heart trying jump out of my chest. Despite it being a cold night, I was drenched in sweat. I took deep breaths to try to calm myself. Once I got my heartbeat back to normal, images of the little girl and her parents kept flashing through my mind. I can't explain it but there was something so familiar about them. Have I met them before?

I know that it's still dark outside but I can't go back to sleep. I have this feeling deep in my gut that something's going to happen and that my life, for better or worse, will never be the same.

**A/N: A theory that I really liked about MDCBK was that Mei comes from a background and complicated history that she doesn't remember. Also, I was so excited about the new chapter. So I created this new fanfic story. It may be a while before I write another chapter for this since I'm planning on working on some of my other stories.** ** I hope you enjoyed this chapter and reviews are always welcomed.**


	2. A Parent's Secret

"She'll find out." An elderly man said, looking at the man across from him. "No matter how hard you try to keep it a secret, she will know eventually. She isn't going to stop until she does."

The younger man stared at the elder impassively. "Is that your way of telling me that I should just tell her?"

"Better from you than by someone who will use it as a way to hurt her."

"Whether it comes from me or somebody else, she will end up hurt either way. It's better to keep it a secret. It's for the best."

"Is it what's best for her? Or for you?" Mr. Fujioka asked. "You are aware that for this secret to remain hidden you'll have to tell lie after lie after lie?"

"The truth will only cause damage that can't be repaired. If she finds out, if she knew, nothing will be the same. This could break her."

"Perhaps another reason you're so unwilling to be honest with her is that you're afraid. You're afraid that she'll never forgive you if she knew what you did and what happened. You're afraid to tell her the truth because there's a possibility that she will stop seeing you as the father she knew. That she won't see you as her family anymore and you will no longer have a place in her heart."

Sanjiro remained silent for a moment, hating the fact that the older man was right. "As I said before, the truth will only cause pain. Nobody will gain anything from it. So, if I have to look into her eyes and lie time and time again to ensure that she doesn't find out something that breaks her heart, I'll do it. For as long as I need to."

The older man let out sigh, "You've always been so stubborn. No surprise that your children are the same."

"If you're so insistent on her knowing the truth, why haven't you told her?"

"This isn't my secret to tell." After a moment he added, "The longer you keep this secret, the more lies are told. Once she sees past those lies, do you think she'll ever trust you again?"

"She won't find out. I've been able to keep this buried for fifteen years and she doesn't suspect a thing. She won't find out." Even as he said it, there was a part of him that wasn't so sure.

The elder man simply stared at him. "The truth always comes out, one way or another." He said nothing more. It was clear that the conversation was over.

Neither of them noticed that the youngest of the Kiharas was nearby and had heard everything.


	3. A Concerned Brother

It was a nice day. The sun shone brightly, providing light and warmth. There was a slight breeze that was refreshing. Birds and other critters were chirping happily. It was truly a nice day.

"What's wrong with you?" Daichi asked his sister. "You look worse than usual."

Instead of responding, Mei simply gave him an annoyed look and resumed drinking her cup of tea. She was in no mood for his antics. Mei woke up this morning with her mind all over the place. Being around her family always had a calming effect on her, at least most of the time, and it was a rare day when she didn't have training, so she came to visit them at their residence.

"Daichi." Aiko chided her son before turning her attention to her daughter. "Are you okay, Mei? You seem a bit tired."

Mei gave her mother a small smile, barely noticeable. "I'm fine. I just didn't get much sleep last night." The images of her most recent dream still lingered in her mind.

"Oh?" Aiko looked at Mei with a slight concern.

"I've been having these weird dreams lately." Mei further explained, "I wake up in the middle of the night and I can't seem to go back to sleep. Perhaps I should go to Mr. Fujioka and ask for a sleeping draft."

"What were the dreams about?" Daichi asked, though he looked like he was bored of the conversation.

Mei paused for a moment and wondered how much should she tell. "Honestly, I don't really know. I can't say that I fully understand what happens in my dreams." Not wanting to reveal too much, Mei decided to change the subject, "It's feels like a long time since I last visited. How have you been?"

Sanjiro, who was silent until now, answered. "We're doing just fine. Though, your mother and I wish you'd visit more often." He took a moment to quickly examine her. It was clear to him that something was bothering her and it wasn't just the lack of sleep. "But we understand that you've been busy lately. I hope you're not running yourself ragged."

"I'm just a bit tired, Dad." Mei assured. "Besides, I'm feeling better now that I'm with you." Mei admitted with a smile. "I'm going into town later today. Would any of you like to join me?"

"Sorry, sweetie." Aiko said with an apologetic smile. "Your father and I feel like staying in today."

"I'll join you." Daichi said. "Can we go now?"

Mei couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as she noticed suddenly how fidgety he seemed. "Um, sure." Mei puts down her empty cup while Daichi was already heading towards the door.

"Make sure he returns before sundown." Sanjiro said to Mei as he looked at his son's retreating form.

"Have fun. Be safe." Aiko added as Mei stood. Mei simply nodded to indicate that she heard and went to catch up with her brother.

The whole way to town, Mei silently observed Daichi. She knows her little brother better than anybody else. Which is why it was obvious to tell that he had something on his mind that was bothering him. As they got further from the palace, Mei noticed that Daichi relaxed a bit.

"So, why did you want to town?" He asked, glancing around. "Did you need to buy something?"

"No, I just wanted to get away from the palace for a bit." Mei responded. After a few moments she added, "Even though it's only been a couple months, it feels like a lifetime ago since I was there selling apples." It truly did feel like a past life.

Daichi remained silent with look that told Mei he was contemplating something. "Could we go to the creek instead?" When they were younger, they found a small creek in the woods. It was peaceful. It became a special place they went to when they needed a place to relax.

"Sure." Mei knew that the creek would be a better place than a crowded town to talk. Steering away from the path towards the town, Mei and Daichi went to the creek.

Once they reached their destination, Mei asked, "Daichi, is there something you'd like to talk about ?"

He was looking at the stream in front of him like he was searching for something. Seconds passed when he finally turn his gaze towards his sister. "Do you like living at the palace?"

That wasn't what she was expecting. "I suppose so. I mean, there certainly are benefits. Like how you and Dad don't have to work anymore."

"The Blood King." Daichi said. "How exactly did you become engaged with him?"

"It sort of just happened."

"Do you- are you fond of him? Does he treat you well?" Concern swirled in his eyes. "I mean, you know what kind of reputation the Blood King has."

"The King hasn't mistreated me," Mei answered, "and despite his reputation, he has a soft side." A light blush appeared on her cheeks. Shaking her head a little, she asked him, "Daichi, is everything okay? What's wrong?" Daichi was never one to ask so many questions.

"Something is off about that palace. It feels like everybody is keeping secrets ." Daichi said, turning his gaze towards the sky. Mei couldn't disagree with him and waited for him to continue. "And even though we don't live far apart, I barely see you anymore. You've changed. You're more…" Daichi searched for the right words, "You're just different now."

"Daichi. . ."

"Mom and Dad have been acting weird too. Especially Dad. They're hiding something, Mei."

"What makes you say that?"

"I-I overheard Dad talking to that physician a few nights ago. I'm pretty sure it was about you." Daichi admitted.

"What were they saying?" Mei asked. Mei felt a bit surprised. Why would her father and Mr. Fujioka be talking about her?

"The physician, Mr. Fujioka, said that Dad should tell you the truth since you're going to find out either way. Dad said that it would be better to keep it secret and he would lie again and again to keep it hidden. He's hid it for fifteen years."

Mei felt something very similar to hurt. She knew that people were keeping her in the dark and lying to her but she didn't expect that her own father would be one of them. " Did they say what the truth was?"

Daichi shook his head. "They never said what it was. But-" He hesitates for only a moment. "Dad said that if you found out, it would break you. And whatever it is, it will make you hate him."

Silence fell on the them as Mei processed what her brother told her. Her father, one of the people she trust and loved the most, had been keeping a secret from her for fifteen years. And whatever that secret was, Mr. Fujioka knew about it.

Daichi looked at his sister with concern. "Mei, are you okay?"

"Yeah" Mei responded unconvincingly. Pulling Daichi into a hug, she said, "Thank you for telling me."

"Well, I know how much the truth means to you." Daichi said, hugging her back.

Mei took comfort in knowing that her little brother would always be honest with her and he was someone she could always trust. But the secrecy of her father still stung. What secret could possibly make her hate the man that raised her?


End file.
